Last for attaching wood heels



May 13, 193w.

E. M. FULLERTON LA-ST FOR ATTACHING WOOD HEELS se t. '20, 1928 lfaefiitar wit 1 7 I Iii ntented M TATE S1 FOR ATTAGHING WOOD HEEIfi Application filed September 20, 1928. Serial No. 807,192.

My present invention relates to a novel methodof attaching wood heels to shoes, and includes a novel last for carrying out said process or method.

5 An important object of the present inven-- tion? is the provision of a last which will be simple and economicalto manufacture, and which will be strong and rugged in construc tion.

1L0 .A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby a wood heel may be permanent-ly afixed to the shoe on its first application thereto, thus greatly simplifying the manufacture of the shoe and eliminating the use of adhesives toeifect a holding of the heelto the shoe during the processes of manufacture, and also eliminating the use of temporary mechanical fastening devices which have been heretofore used to hold said wood 2 heel to a shoe as it is passing through the various and progressive stages of its manufacture.

lln carrying out my present invention 1 utilize a last thimble having a thickened bottom to withstand the shocks, blows, and hammering to which a last is subjected during the shoe manufacturing operations. Through the thickened bottom of this thimble ll form 5 or drill an aperture. Thus aperture may be formed before application of the thimble to the last, or maybe formed or drilled after" the thimble is inserted in its last recess. In the latter event, the drilling is continued, through the wood of the last, and through the heel plate, so that in the completed last there is a continuous recess through the wood of the heel part and the heel plate, alined with the aperture in the thickened bottom of the thimble.

40 Adjacent to this aperture in the heel plate is a second aperture or recess, exposing the wood of the last, and through which second aperture an insole-holding tack' may be driven.

After the insole is secured to the last,'and the upper materials have been assembled and lasted, the insole ack may then be withdrawn, and a wood eel applied. I then insert a holding device, preferably a screw,

through the last thimble and the aforesaid recess passin through the heel part and last plate, and by means of a suitable-tool, such as a screwdriver, I screw this holding device or screw through the insole and into the wood heel, drawing the heel into firm and close engagement with the insole and in a permanent manner. Thus the holding of the heel to the insole is assurediduring the continuation of the shoe manufacturing operations or process, as well as afterward during use, as the screw ,efiects a permanent union of the wood heel with the shoe.

I believe that the above briefly described process is novel,'and have therefore claimed the same broadly in the present application.

I also believe that the last utilized in carrying out this process is novel, and have therefore also claimed said last in this application.

The above and other objects of the invention, details of construction, combinations of parts, and advantages, will be hereinafter more fully pointed out, described and claimed.

Referring tothe drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present inven tion,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my novel last, broken away at the heel part;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the heel part, on an enlarged scale, after application of the insole and uppermaterials;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of thelast and shoe after application and attachment of the wood heel,

illustrating the method. of permanently attaching said wood heel; and t Fig. 4's a side elevation of the completed shoe, artly brolren away at the heel portion.

Re erring now to the drawings, for a particlilar description of the'inv'ention, 1 desig nates the heel part of a last, here illustrated as a hinge last, although it-will be appreciated and understood that my invention is equal- 1y applicable to lasts of any type or nature.

lin this heel part 1 is a recess 2 in which is seated a metallic thimble 3 having a thickened bottom 4. Approximately centrally of this bottom 4 is formed an aperture 5'. This aperture 5 may be formed before the thim- 10H the inner entrance of this aperture 5.

ble is driven into the recess 2-, or it may be drilled after such insertion. A recess 6 is also formed, alined with the aperture 5, and continuing downwardly completely through the wood of the heel part 1. A last plate 7 is affixed to the bottom of the heel part, and has therein an aperture 8 alined with the aperture 5 in the thimble 3 and with the recess 6. Thus a continuous recess is provided from the last thimble through to the bottom of the last. The last plate 7 is also provided with an aperture or recess 9 which exposes the wood of the last, as clearly illustrated.

An insole 10 is thereupon applied to the last and secured thereto by tacks 11, one of which engages the wood of the last at the point exposed by the recess 9. The upper materials 12 are then assembled, pulled over and secured by lasting tacks 13 or in any other manner. Thereupon the tacks 11 may be re moved. Subsequently an outsole 14 is apilied, in the usual manner, and then a wood heel 15 is applie l.- \Vhcn in proper position, a fastening device, such as a screw 16, is inserted into the thimble 3, through the aperture 5, recess 6 and aperture 8, and is screwed through the insole 10 and into the heel 15 by a suitable tool, such as a screwdriver 17. In

this manner the wood heel is permanently af-- fixed to the shoe, facilitatingthe further operations of shoe manufacture, and eliminating the use of adhesives or other temporary holding means such as previously employed.

The permanent union effected bythe screw 16 also insures firmer and stronger holding of the wood heel 15 to the shoe when in use and wear.

A heel pad or stocking lining 18 may be and preferably is applied to the interior of the shoe, to cover and conceal the head of the screw 16, and to protect the stocking and foot of the wearer therefrom. I

It will be instantly apparent and obvious to those skilled in this art that I have devised a novel, simple, eflicient, inexpensive and desirable method of permanently applying wood heels to shoes, as well as having devised a novel, rugged, simple last for carrying out this process.

Because of thefact that I utilize but a single continuing recess through the heel part of the last, said heel part is not materially weakened, as in prior structures wherein two or more recesses were bored or formed throughthe last.

It will also be appreciated that my novel process will effect a material saving in the cost of shoe manufacture.

The aperture 5 is preferably drilled while the thimble 3 is being drilled from solid bar stock, thus requiring but one operation. It will be noted that a counterbore is formed at This counterbore will prevent the closing in of the small aperture if by any chance a jack pin should be long enough to strike the inner bottom of the thimble, the pressure of said jack pins being considerablel Jack pins have rounded or beveled ends, and in the event of a long jack pin being encountered, the end thereof would rest in the counterbore and would have a tendency to open the aperture, rather than to close the same. hen said aperture 5 is drilled during the formation of the thimble, it is a simple matter, after driving the thimble into a last, to drill down through the wood of the last and the heel plate 7, using the pre-formed aperture 5 as a guide for this later drilling operation.

While I have necessarily described my present invention somewhat in detail, it will be appreciated that I may vary the size, shape and arrangement of parts within reasonably wide limits without departing from the spirit of the invention.

My invention is further described and defined in the form of claim as follows In a last of the kind described, a thimble extending downwardly from the cone and partially through the wood of the last and having an aperture through the bottom thereof of less diameter than the bore of said thimble, said last having an uninterrupted aperture therethrough of the same diameter as the diameter of the aperture in the bottom of the thimble, the aperture in said last extending from the last bottom to the bottom of the thimble and alined with the aperture in the bottom of said thimble, and a lastplate having an aperture therethrough of the same diameter as the diameter of said first two apertures and alined therewith.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ERNEST M. FULLERTQN. 

